katana star -- sizing question

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I have a pair of Elite 2's in 12.5, that are fairly worn. They fit nicely, enough room to be comfortable. I have the Katana Stars in 13.0, and they seem a small amount bigger, but not by much. I did a 6x400m workout in them (wearing socks), and they felt fine. I would like to see how a 12.5 would fit me, but I haven't had the chance. Are you going to wear socks when you race? Do you like your racing flats to fit snugger than trainers? I have raced many miles on my old Air Streak Vapor 4's, which were size 13. They are a BIG 13, and I notice everytime I put them on, but they have never given me a noticeable problem while racing.

So, I would say if you are going to wear them for longer races, like the marathon or 1/2, go with 11.5. But if you want to wear them for 5k/10k races, go with 11.0. Of course, you need to ask yourself if you plan on wearing socks with the racers, and how well the 11.5 Elites fit you.

Sorry if this was a bit incoherent and didn't help, but I figured it might be worth a shot. Let me now if you have any more questions, I have a boatload of Nike spikes and trainers and I am willing to comment on more of them if it would help.

I'm a 9.5 D width on a Brannock device and had no problem with the star in 9.5

Does anyone find the Katana Star's soles a little too inflexible?

Does the katana star have a bit more to it than the katana in terms of overall padding?

I like the sole not being flexible - to me, it feels more responsive on the pavement. However, the heel is a bit high for my liking.

Yes, yes it does. To me, the Star is bulkier with more support. I would wear it for longer races like the marathon and half. The Rac3r, and all it's descendants are much lighter and more flexible. Alan Webb wore the early version for the 5th avenue mile a couple years back.

clarksonxc: from your experience I'd think 12.0 would actually be my best bet. Is that what you meant to say? I wear 11.5 in the Zoom Elite and it's snug but okay. It seems the Katana Star in 11.5 would possibly be too small (and I do wear socks). My plan would be to wear the Stars for a spring marathon.

Thanks!

Yes - I agree with you assesment. If you cant find a perfect fit (your foot is between sizes they make), than I would rather have a shoe thats slightly too big versus slightly too small. Socks can make up for that small difference. If you're ordering online, which it sounds like you are, sometimes I like to go ahead and buy 2 different sizes of the same pair. Yes, you do have to pay much more money up front, but you'll get to compare how different sizes feel. Afterwards, you can just send them back. You'll never get back the shipping cost, but to me it is worth it. Eastbay, for example, charges $3.99 shipping for each additional item after the 1st. I send my returns via USPS, which comes to $4.60 usually. If you can take the 2x cost up front, and wait a bit for your $$$ back, I've found its not a bad method. Eastbay refunds the money within a week of receiving an item return. Now, I'm not that familiar with too many other companies, but sometimes it's worth it to read their customer service page before ordering. Just a thought, hope I hepled.

Very helpful, thanks. If you don't mind more questions, what sort of foot strike/mechanics do you have (I pronate just slightly) and are these shoes a good marathon choice? I don't want an extremely stiff shoe but neither do I want something highly flexible. Yes, I'm ordering online because I can't get them locally.

...order them from here

www.runningwarehouse.com

and save on shipping and return shipping (it's free).

jack lumber wrote:

How is sizing for the Nike Katana Star flat? I wear 11.5 in Nike trainers (Zoom Elite) but don't presently own any Nike flats. Earlier I'd sometimes size up a half size for flats but it's been a few years since I've worn Nike.

Thanks for the help.

Trainer size should be good.

I have never had my footstrike analyzed, but I haven't ever had any real problems with it, so I would guess that it is pretty neutral. I would think that they'd be a good marathon choice. I have only run 2 marathons, and I wore the Nike Marathoners. I have them in size 13, and they are a very snug 13 (with socks). They are more like a trainer that has been stripped down and made lighter for racing. The Katana Star seems more like they took the Katana Rac3r and 'bulked' it up a bit more to have more support for the longer distance. I don't really know the history of the shoe, so I don't know if that's the actual case, but I do know it was very comfortable to run in. I only did a 6x400m workout in them, on pavement in a park, and I really liked them. I wouldn't hesitate to try them at a longer distance; but make sure you do a couple of your long runs in them before raceday.